Withymoor - Amblecote, Stourbridge..... (1 Viewer)

[rollingthunder]

Sunday 22nd Sep...............

Ridge Hill, Wordsley 0800-0900

A quick cycle over to the local high point.

The first half hour was reasonably productive with 50+ Swallows and House Martins in 3's and 4's. Mixed in with the passage were a dozen or so Pipits, presume Meadow but not heard to call also a single alba Wagtail with its' distinct flight call. They used to be called 'chizzick' flyovers but you would have to live in West London to really appreciate that one.

2 singing Chiffchaffs were the only other passerines of note.

Withymoor ca1330

Dead as a dead thing with a handful of BHG's and 2 fem Tufties.

PAL texted me this morning to say he had stonking views of a 'rooting' badger @ 2115 - way past my bedtime but i do see the effects of their nocturnal feeding forays on various bits of grassland.

Laurie:t:

Below - the original Chiswick Flyover...............

 

[rollingthunder]

Mon 23rd Sep..............

A dull day in whatever context you wish to put it in. At least it should brighten up a bit today, hopefully late-morning onwards.

A quick visit to Withymoor only produced 2 Tufties and at least 3 calling Chiffchaffs. A nice sight was 2 juv/1w Grey Wagtails feeding around the Southern inflow. The birds were beautifully marked with a very 'peach/buff' wash on the upper-breast a bit like the bird illustrated below but more so.

The current weather conditions are favouring the Northern Isles with a boatload of goodies in the form of Pipits, Wagtails and Warblers including a PGTips on the Skerries - the Scllies are v quiet by comparison but, as anybody who has been knows, it can be a late starter:eek!:

Me, i'm doing neither, i'll be back in Maroc during December avec Brompton.

Laurie:t:

 

[rollingthunder]

Nothing really of any note at all this week.

Withymoor has been even quieter with the Tufties now gone and i haven't had a calling Chiffie all week apart from one @ Delph marine ystda. Still quite a lot of 'flycatching' Gulls mainly BHG's.

My attention to the bushes along the canal and elsewhere is now in pursuit of ripening apples to add to the cider making list. Lots are falling but they are not ripe so are best left - another week or so and things will be OK to start pressing!

A party of 4 Buzzards over the Wagon and Horses @ HalesowenB were a nice sight and altho they are not uncommon now, ten years ago (along with Ravens) it would have been different.

Talking about Birds of Prey. I could'nt help but notice the bird below in an article about the Nairobi shopping-mall incident. The bird slightly enlarged appears to show a blurred tail. My guess would be a Black Kite soaring? I spent a couple of weeks in Nairobi as part of a 3-month birding trip over 35 years ago and i remember the roost at Nairobi abbatoir of some 2000 birds so they are/were a pretty common sight over the city.

Plenty of stuff in Shetland but Ireland is making the news with Eastern Kingbird and Blackpoll Warbler at the same site in Galway:eek!: Josh Jones jammed in on one and below is a link to an article on vagrant hunting in the Emerald Isle - mouth-watering stuff.......

http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=3962

Back to Ridge Hill methinks, Craig's getting some nice passage @ Clent.

Laurie:t:

 

[Pam_m]

Called in briefly at Mary Stevens Park yesterday afternoon (for an ice cream), Canada Geese and Mallards on the Lake in huge numbers, especially so the Geese!

Whittington fields (prior to ice cream) held a good sized flock of Mipits and Finches, very flighty so no count! A couple of Buzzards being harrassed by Crows and a singing Robin were the only other notable species!

Brake Mill Pool this morning...20 B H Gulls, loads of Mallards, Coot, Moorhen, Grey Heron, 2 female Tufties (7 female Tufties last Saturday), 1 Little Grebe and a delightful Grey Wagtail catching insects!

 

[rollingthunder]

Hi Pam - i will now recognise you as you will have an ice cream in your hands and binoculars around your neck but only on sunny days I was delivering a home-made birthday card to a mate and was en-route for a couple of theseB

I popped in briefly to MSP at about 5ish and was surprised at the amount of Canada Geese, an estimated 250, whether this included the Withymoor 'contingent'?

Second broods of Mallard and Moorhen and about 125 BHG's of various ages, no migrants noted.

Laurie:t:

 

[rollingthunder]

Ridge Hill, Wordsley 0700-0815........

Thought i would give the above a bash over the next few days as the weather is forecast settled, if cloudy.

Today was bout 2/3 cloud cover, clearing from the West with a light Easterly breeze (slightly cooler edge to it).

It's never going to rival Craigs spot up @ Clent but it is the local high point and judging by some of the discarded cigarette-ends not just by altitude I am only counting 'migrants' as those birds that are moving purposefully in a S/SW direction whether they be Summer visitors or not, everything else is just local movement as far as i am concerned.

Pipits - 1+12+6
Alba Wagtail - single bird.

Sparrowhawk - fem/type being mobbed by a Jackdaw and a CCrow.
Jays/Magpies/Greenfinch/BHG/LBB

Only migrant noted was 3 calling Chiffchaffs.

Below - Black Country sunrise for proof (check exif!)

Laurie:t:

 

[Pam_m]

I may have an ice cream in my hands but binoculars no way, not in a public park Laurie!:eek!

 

[rollingthunder]

Yes, i suppose discretion is advised as the ice cream van is near the kiddies playground........I do my viewing either at the other end or over on the other side depending on where the sun is - either way it's academic as there is generally nothing of note but you never know.......

Fine weather ysta after my early start. Withymoor held a couple of Tufties and a handful of BHG's - GSPWpecker and Jay were also noted along with a flyover GreyWag. A single calling Chiffchaff along the railway line. MSPark held about 100 BHG's and tonnes of Canada Geese. There were quite a lot of people around the park so a fair bit of food was on offer.

You never know what might turn up on the blandest body of water so that is what keeps you going. A good example is the Sooty Shearwater that was found @ Grafham Water:eek!: An eye-popping find if ever there was one, this has bought a flood of anecdotal records including a wire-entangled Black Browed Albatross in Derbyshire, Shropshires own MagnificentF and of course the Corys @ Chasewater so it just goes to show..............

Back to reality and something that one might actually click with is Yellow Browed Warbler. High pressure and the right conditions have bought, literally, hundreds to Shetland with a day-count on Thursday of over 325 birds with 100+ on Unst alone! Records are now trickling down the East Coast of the British Isles an will hopefully start to feed inland - the weather is forecast excellent for those bound for the Northern Isles but don't write off the Scillies it's till far too early.

The last YBW i connected with was a nice bird @ Upton Warren in the Education Reserve IIRC - the date escapes me but i think it was about 10 years ago, somebody on a ferry bound for the Shetlands will probably furnish the exact date? A bird was found last year in a garden near Worcester and was present for quite a while, despite 3 visits i did'nt manage to click with the bugger!

Listen out for the call which will probably be the first clue - below is a recording of a bird calling whilst being rung in Norway.

Laurie:t:

 

[yamyam]

Hi Laurie
The bird was found on the 30th November 2003 South of the moors pool and was later relocated in the Education Reserve where it spent most of its time, and was last seen on the 27th December 2003. I also saw this bird |=)|
Good Birding YAMYAM

 

[Brian Stretch]

Pictures of the two most recent Worcestershire Yellow-browed Warblers are online here.

Brian
________________
Worcester Birding
Follow Worcester Birding on Twitter @WorcsBirding

 

[rollingthunder]

YY - i thought about 10 years ago and i was'nt far off

Thanks for the link Brian - i'm a bit gripped off, i obviously did'nt click with the Barred, was in Portugal when the GRW turned up and did'nt connect @ Warndon but it's a nice shot of the UW bird:t:

Oh, completely unconnected but i had a text from PAL congratulating me for finding a Red Necked Grebe @ Withymoor today!

First i've heard about it - he followed up by apologising for the mistake, just as i was unfolding my bike to scoot over there and catch up with myself in a 'Back to the Future' stylee.........

Laurie:t:

 

[rollingthunder]

An hour and a half mooching around the Veolia tip @ Fairfield rather than wasting time at the usual haunts.

There are a reasonable range of habitats apart from the obvious tip and landfill. This includeds new sand extraction with wet flashes later on in the Winter, bits of woodland shelterbelt, mature hedgerows and a settling pool. Over the other side there are a series of deep pools but with little edge, access is difficult but entrance thru one of the adjacent fields unofficially does the job nicely.

Again, not much in the way of gulls with about 30+ large being present, mainly LBB's with a few Herring and a handful of BHG's. Hopefully this will build over the next few months. No hirundines seen at all but a good mixture of finches present and 3/4 Buzzards noted.

The main spur of interest for visiting was to see if any Ravens were present in the large Corvid flocks. To my surprise there was even more than the last time, i counted a minimum of 30 birds but more like 35+ were present:eek!: as birds were dropping down behind the tree line and soaring up again. The Corvid flock i estimate at about 500+ birds with 3/4 consisting of Jackdaws and the rest being Carrion Crows altho there will obviously be some Rooks included but none were heard to call.

The only migrant noted was a single, calling, Chiffchaff.

Links to 2 articles with regard to breeding success. The UK's only Red Backed Shrikes and Mongolian Sakers - all good stuff....

http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=3973

http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=3963

Laurie:t:

 

[rollingthunder]

Ridge Hill, Wordsley...........0745-0900.

Moderate and cool breeze from the East, cloud cover 90%, heavier in the West.

A bit more activity mainly 0800-0830 birds moving South/South East.

Pipits - 2x4x5
Swallows - x9x8
House Martin - single flock ca25
Alba Wagtail - one party of 4
Grey Heron - 2 birds 1/2 an hour apart

The only passerine migrant heard was a single Chiffchaff in the cemetery.

Laurie:t:

 

[rollingthunder]

Not much all week.............

Tufty down to a single female @ WMoor, Buzzard, Sprawk, calling Bullfinches.

A few Swallows and a singing Chiffchaff ystda on the railway line.

BHG's 75->125 in MSPark.

A few waders on the move still, if you're lucky enuff to find a Whimbrel DO check the rump:eek!: The bird below courtesy of Dave Pullan on the Shetlands.

Good Birding -

Laurie:t:

 

[rollingthunder]

Sunday 6th October..........

A very pleasant day, weather-wise

An hour around Hurcott proved unproductive but good for the dogs. Bits of woodland stuff feeding in the canopy, Tits/Crests/Nuthatch/Treecreeper. A few Canada's and Mallard on the pool. The newly cleared area of wet woodland might prove poductive for a crake/rail if somebody was prepared to put in some early/morning or late/evening viewing.......

Moved my narrowboat from Whittington to Caunsall with Raven, Buzzard and Grey Wag noted. 3 more Ravens over Wollaston and ended up giving a quick scan of Mary Stevens Park where a Barnacle Goose of unknown provenance had been reported but i could'nt find it - ca80 BHG's present.

Nothing of note @ Withymoor.

Elsewhere, following hard on the heels of the Crane @ Blithers is/was a Glossy Ibis @ Tittesworth - mega birds imo, i remember twitching my first down at Stodmarsh in the late 70's:eek!: Also a Marbled Duck elsewhere in Staffs, nice birds altho not exactily pulse-racing. I recall popping into Cheddar reservoir on the way back from the Scillies to see one once.

I too would like to be relaxing, sipping some Champers having the Shetland Thick-Billed Warbler :eek!n my list but @ nearly 300 quid a pop there's no chance, that's a weeks birding in Maroc including flight.....

Laurie:t:

 

[rollingthunder]

Tue 8th oCT........

Last of the mild weather with things turning cooler for the next few days.

Withymoor 1200-1300

Hvnt been down for a few days, water still high-ish, Tufties have now increased to 2 males and 3 females and most of the Canada Geese from MSPark had relocated there making over 300 in residence:eek!: I know they are introduced but it's still nice to hear the skeins going over morning and evening it gives a feel of a bit of migration happening - i prefer the Pinkfeet in Lancashire but you can't have everything.

ca30 BHG's and a couple of LBB's, an adult and a 1w.

Surprise of the day was the presence of a very active Little Grebe, the second record this year AFAIK. They average 1/2 records annually with a duration of between 2/5 days.

Grey Wagtail and a calling Chiffchaff also noted.

West Hagley Fieds 1500-1630

Very quiet with only a single Buzzard and a party of ca20 Skylarks noted.

100+ BHG's on MSPark on the way thru.

Elsewhere Bitterns appear to be on the move with one @ Muddleton and a couple @ UW - time to get the sprats out

Laurie:t:

 

[rollingthunder]

Thur 10th Oct......

Coolier and breezier, as forecast.

Withymoor ca1330

Tufties - 5 now present 3f2m
BHG - ca20

No sign of the Little Grebe must have gone overnight, not much else to report but, hey, it's not Norfolk.......

Should be Redwings around over the weekend must listen tonight for flight calls.

Laurie:t:

 

[Pam_m]

Should be Redwings around over the weekend must listen tonight for flight calls.

Laurie:t:

I had 2 flocks (possibly one flock doing a couple of circuits) of Redwings over my house and garden yesterday morning (Sunday)! A Redwing flew momentarily in to a willow tree in my garden so a nice addition to my Autumn BTO Garden Birdwatch list for this week!
On a walk in the Whittington area Saturday afternoon I came across 8 Fieldfares perched in a dead tree and a berry tree adjacent to it, there may have been more out of view as they were distant. Great to see the Winter Thrushes back again. Yellowhammers, Skylarks and Goldfinch were the other highlights of the walk with Buzzard heard but unusually not seen.

 

[rollingthunder]

I only clicked yesterday with 8 over the railway embankment @ WM, i think that both these species tend to start feeding in more rural areas when they first arrive and then move into urban areas on Rowan and Cotoneaster but that's my theory......

WM still had 5 tufties ystda, 3f5m, along with about 25 BHG's. A bit more woodland stuff with parties of LTT's, Coal Tit etc.

A Little Grebe was once again present and feeding close to the vegetated edge. I have'nt been down for 3 days and this looked a much paler bird than the individual present for a couple of days last week - a buffy individual and possibly the 3rd recorded this year?

A quick look on MSPark in the light of the recent Skua records, you never know, i thought there might be an early wintering Goosander returning or the outside possibility of a...........Scoter - needless to say there was nothing to race the pulse!

A quick recce of the old Sunrise Medical site did'nt yield anything but a group of 20+ Magpies. This site is being developed by Taylor-Wimpey and they are at the 'groundwork' and landscaping stage with nothing erected. There has been a lot of fiddling with soil levels and infilling. I do'nt know when the building is to start so there might be a window for roosting birds most of the standing water had dissappeared ystda. Viewing is best from the main entrance or from a couple of spots from the canal, either way i think it will be built on very soon.

A good sprinkling of rarities elsewhere with little in the region save for a Red Necked Grebe, briefly, down near Droitwich.

Laurie:t:

 

[rollingthunder]

Tue 15th Oct..........

Withymoor ca1200-1300

Water levels high, with passage over i'll leave the debris to keep the levels up over the winter.

Tufties - still 5, 3 male types and 2 fems.
BHG - ca20.
Grey Wag.
Redwing - a couple of parties over the embankment.
Fieldfare - 2 birds over the railway line.

A small group of mixed Chaffinch/Greenfinch feeding on an Alder by the Northern inflow. There are a number of other, larger, Alders around the pool in which i have recorded Siskin but i did'nt see or hear any ystda.

Surprise of the day was a second Little Grebe now having joined the other, paler, bird. Perhaps it was present the other day but they dive and move around so fast it would be easy to miss one, certainly living up to their generic name of Tachybaptus = swift-diving.

Weather to remain mixed and wet with fog in places it might ground one or two things?.....

Good birding -

Laurie:t: